Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
(19)
PETTY PATENT
AUSTRALIAN PATENT OFFICE
(54)
Title
Apparatus to extend the range of human hearing to include the infrasonic and
ultrasonic frequency domains
(51)
(21)
(43)
Publication Date:
2001.05.31
(43)
2001.05.31
2001.05.31
(71)
Applicant(s)
David John Collier
(72)
Inventor(s)
David John Collier
(74)
Agent/Attorney
David John Collier,GPO Box 1755,Canberra City,ACT 2601 Australia
(56)
Related Art
US 4629834
US 4839872
(22)
Application Date:
2000.08.18
Page Illof 1
ABSTRACT
An electronic apparatus which extends the range of human hearing to include the
infrasonic and ultrasonic frequency domains in air and water is disclosed.
The apparatus employs a piezoelectric transducer to convert infrasonic fluid pressure
waves, via a high impedance FET input circuit, into electrical signals which are
frequency filtered; amplified; digitised; frequency multiplied and transformed into
audible sine wave and visual outputs. Ultrasonic fluid pressure waves are converted into
electrical signals through a piezoelectric or electrostatic transducer; frequency filtered;
amplified; digitised; frequency divided and transformed into audible and visual outputs.
Provision is made for an external hydrophone connection, and for an internal or external
frequency meter.
Page 10of 11
CLAIMS
The claims defining the invention are as follows:1. An electronic apparatus which extends the range of human hearing to include both the
infrasonic and ultrasonic frequency domains in both air and water, substantially as
herein described with reference to accompanying drawings.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which there are visual indications of firstly the presence;
relative amplitude, and fundamental frequency of infrasonic fluid pressure waves, and
secondly the presence and relative amplitude of ultrasonic fluid pressure waves; also
in which there are auditory indications of the presence and fundamental frequency of
both infrasonic and ultrasonic fluid pressure waves, and lastly in which there is a
visual indication of the fundamental frequency of ultrasonic fluid pressure waves
when an optional frequency meter is incorporated into said apparatus or connected to
it.
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Page 1 of 11
AUSTRALIA
Patents Act 1990
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
PETTY PATENT
APPARATUS TO EXTEND THE RANGE OF HUMAN HEARING
TO INCLUDE THE INFRASONIC AND ULTRASONIC
FREQUENCY DOMAINS.
The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method
of performing it known to me.
Page 2 of 11
Page 3 of ll
Said PLL frequency multiplier also acts as a sharp (theoretically infinite) cutoffbandpass signal frequency filter because a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) which is an
integral part of said multiplier has limits to its frequencies of oscillation set by the value
of two resistors labelled R3 and R4 respectively in Fig. 4.
A VCO frequency from 64 to 704 Hz automatically limits the signal frequency band to 2
to 22 Hz when the PLL multiplication factor is 32.
Notes:the VCO mentioned above oscillates at its minimum set frequency (64 Hz in this case) in the absence of
an incoming signal, which could confuse the user of the device described herein. A subsidiary onetransistor circuit provides an indication of a valid signal via a small LED indicator which lights when the
PLL is 'locked' on to a valid incoming signal. Another subsidiary circuit switches signals to both the
visual display 9) and output amplifier 8) 'on' or 'off' as appropriate, such that there are no invalid or
random outputs. These subsidiary circuits are not shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive.
(ii) in a simpler manifestation of the apparatus the infrasonic PLL frequency multiplier and subsequent
circuitry can be replaced by a readily available integrated miniature piezo buzzer which is simply turned on
and off by the rectified signal from the Schmitt trigger, in time with these infrasonic half-cycles.
Said electrical signals are now of square and triangular wave form, irrespective of the
form of the original infrasonic signal.
Said multiplier is connected to a sinewave shaper 7) in which said triangular wave signals
are converted into an approximate sinewave form, closer in form to the original
infrasonic signal.
Said shaper is connected (via a subsidiary switching circuit) to an output amplifier 8)
which is connected to an internal loudspeaker 17) and/or to headphones 18).
The output of said amplifier 2) is also connected (via a subsidiary switching circuit) to a
visual display 9) which includes a LED bargraph display.
Page 4 of 1l
Said display provides a visual indication of the presence of an infrasonic signal; of the
relative amplitude of said signal, and of the original frequency of said signal by means of
real-time fluctuation in light output or light reflection or light transmission.
Description of ultrasonic part of the apparatus.
A readily available piezo-electric transducer 10) used commonly in burglar alarms, in
proximity detectors and in electronic tape rules is connected to a low noise differential
amplifier 11) via a passive resistance/capacitance (RC) circuit which provides initial
band-pass frequency filtering.
Note:- an electret or condenser microphone may be used instead of a piezoelectric transducer. The
transducer used needs to be selected for a wide frequency response up to around 180 KHz, and the passive
RC circuit mentioned above may need to be modified to suit the frequency response of the particular
transducer used.
The automatic gain control (AGC) circuit 12) of this part of the apparatus works much as
described for the AGC circuit 3) in the infrasonic part of the apparatus; namely by taking
the output signal from the output of the differential amplifier 11) and feeding it back
through an AGC amplifier or voltage follower to an LED whose light output falls upon a
LDR connected to the amplifier 11). See Fig. 3 for details. The amplification factor or
gain of said amplifier is determined by the dynamic resistance value of this LDR because
the LDR is connected between two gain-determining terminals specified by the
manufacturer of said amplifier.
The effect of this negative feedback is to stabilise the amplitude of the signal from the
output of the amplifier 11).
The maximum frequency response of said AGC amplifier or voltage follower is designed
to be less than the lowest signal frequency of interest in order to assure a smooth or
delayed adjustment of the differential amplifier's gain.
The amplifier 11) is connected to a limiting amplifier 13) which ensures sufficient signal
to operate a Schmitt trigger 14). Said trigger is connected to a PLL bandpass filter (BPF)
labelled IC5 in Fig.3, whose frequency band or range is preset by resistors R1 and R2
in Fig.3.
Notes:(i)using a PLL in this way provides a more precise and sharper signal frequency cutoff than is obtained by
analogue active frequency filtering; it also provides for economy in component parts.
(ii)subsidiary circuits provide appropriate switching and valid signal indication as previously described for
the infrasonic part of the apparatus.
Said BPF 15) is connected to a digital frequency divider 16) which divides the digital
signal by a factor of 16, such that an inaudible 160 KHz signal becomes an audible
KHz signal when it is amplified in the output amplifier 8) and fed into a loudspeaker 17)
or into headphones 18).
Note:- other division factors are also possible in this part of the circuit.
The amplifier 11) is also connected to a visual display 9) (via a subsidiary switching
circuit), so that a visual indication of the presence and relative amplitude of an ultrasonic
signal is provided.
Page 5 of 11
Notes:it is not possible to sensibly display an ultrasonic frequency per se given the limited (audio) frequency
response of the display circuit and the limited 'flicker' response of human vision.
rising or falling frequency; relatively low or relatively
(ii) the original 'sense' or frequency spectrum
high frequency) is preserved with these digital methods of signal conversion. Those 'bat detectors' or 'gas
leak detectors', including the apparatus disclosed in US Patent 4,629,834, which use the frequency
heterodyne method of signal conversion invert the 'sense' as mentioned above, leading to some difficulty in
interpretation of the original signal or utterance.
(iii) the human ear is less able to discriminate actual waveform with higher audible frequencies, so that
waveform conversion of the digital squarewave obtained from the (ultrasonic) frequency divider 16) is less
important than it is with the digital squarewave normally obtained from the (infrasonic) PLL frequency
multiplier 6) previously described herein.
(iv) the apparatus can be used to detect ultrasonic or infrasonic utterances of animals or plants but is
designed for more general usage.
a digital or analogue frequency meter may be incorporated into the apparatus if an accurate frequency
readout is required, or a signal output connection may be provided for an external frequency meter.
(vi) subsidiary switching circuits detect and switch incoming infrasonic or ultrasonic signals as appropriate
so that visual and audible outputs are differentiated and valid.
Page 6 of 11
See also information on the ANU Warramunga Seismic and Infrasound Array Station on
the internet.
The US prototype system has or had a frequency response from 0.02 Hz to 4.0 Hz and
has or had 'microbarograph' sensors spaced 1 km apart.
Page 7 of 11
I quote "The tasks of bioacoustics....call for specialised sets of instruments which are not
commonly available on the market." In this html paper only hydrophones are mentioned
as having a low frequency response.
Infrasound is of course generated by geological and meteorological phenomena, and may
also be generated by other bodies in the solar system or beyond via electromagnetic or
gravitational effects.
It is likely that infrasound is conducted; amplified; focussed or attenuated by architectural
and topographic features including underwater topographic features, and such effects
may be of biological importance, e.g. migration routes of whales. This could be a fruitful
area of scientific research, including archaeological research. Such research depends
importantly on the ready availability of suitable (inexpensive) detection equipment.
Some well-known winds such as the Mistral in southern France probably generate
infrasound and it may be this form of energy which contributes to negative health effects
in susceptible individuals, not merely an excess of positive ions.
There are groups of individuals around the world known as 'Hummers' who are
concerned with mysterious low frequency hums or noises found in different parts of the
world, e.g. the Taos hum; the Bristol hum. Refer
www.borderlands.com/iournal/nux.htm05/08/00.
RA
Page 8 of 11
Page 9 of 11
A portable combined infrasonic and ultrasonic detector with both auditory and visual
outputs and with more or less complete coverage of those frequency domains, namely
down to approximately 2 Hz and up to approximately 180 KHz, appears to be a novel
concept.
The apparatus disclosed in US Patent 4,629,834 (apparently now expired) has coverage
only tip to 30 KHz, and was apparently intended for enhanced auditory surveillance by
police and military forces. This US -designed apparatus specified conventional electret
microphones mounted in a parabolic reflector.
The combination of an inexpensive piezo transducer and a field-effect transistor (FET)
op-amp input circuit to enable the detection ofinfrasound in the present apparatus may be
considered to be an inventive step, as this combination appears not to have been
described for this use before. Such a combination appears to respond to atmospheric
pressure fluctuations of less than 1 Hz in frequency.
The use of phase-locked loop (PLL) circuits in this apparatus for firstly low frequency
multiplication and secondly precise band-pass filtering of both high and low frequencies
may be considered to be an inventive step. These particular PLL circuits are not new, but
their application described herein appears to be new, at least for the infrasonic part of the
apparatus.
Similarly the application of a sine-wave shaping cicuit to this apparatus appears to be
new; and this apparatus appears to be a new application for a LED/LDR coupled AGC
circuit.
Acknowledgments
References
Alexander Graham Bell -for inspiration.
(ii) Jan Cook Monica Hamers -for receiving and passing on the messages.
(iii) B.Kainka (2000) "Electronic Stethoscope", Elektor Electronics July/August, p. 2 0
(iv) Ian Hegglun (1991) "Sine Waves from a 4046 VCO", Electronics World+Wireless
World, September, p. 75 5
Don Lancaster (1977) "CMOS Cookbook", Howard W. Sams Co Inc.
(vi) Don Lancaster (1996) "Active Filter Cookbook", 2 nd Edition, Newnes.
(vii) Bryan Maher (1999) "Op Amps Explained", 2 nd Edition, Electronics
Australia/Federal Publications Company.
(viii) US Patent 4,629,834 of Dec. 16, 1986.
Page 10of 11
CLAIMS
The claims defining the invention are as follows:1. An electronic apparatus which extends the range of human hearing to include both the
infrasonic and ultrasonic frequency domains in both air and water, substantially as
herein described with reference to accompanying drawings.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which there are visual indications of firstly the presence;
relative amplitude, and fundamental frequency of infrasonic fluid pressure waves, and
secondly the presence and relative amplitude of ultrasonic fluid pressure waves; also
in which there are auditory indications of the presence and fundamental frequency of
both infrasonic and ultrasonic fluid pressure waves, and lastly in which there is a
visual indication of the fundamental frequency of ultrasonic fluid pressure waves
when an optional frequency meter is incorporated into said apparatus or connected to
it.
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